democracy and participation pt3 Flashcards
(21 cards)
what is a pressure group
an organisation that seeks to influence public policy
what are promotional groups
- serve a whole community - not just their members + supporters
- mobilise public opinion and put pressure on gov
- use direct action through - public demonstrations, internet campaigns
- high profile to public
example of a promotional group
BLACK LIVES MATTER
- serves whole black community - equality
- after murder of George Floyd 2020 mass public demonstrations attracted thousands in London
- social media campaigns like #BlackLivesMatter
- lobby gov and MPs to change policy on policing, and disproportionate stop-and-search of black people
what is a sectional group
- normally self interested and they serve he interests of their members and supporters
- they try to make direct links with decision makers although they do try and get some public support
- their methods are more subtle and less in the public eye
- normally have formal closed membership
example of a sectional group
- serves the interest of teachers - pay, working conditions etc
- lobbies The Department of Education - meets with ministers and MPs, influences the gov through formal decisions
- closed membership - only available for those in education roles - must be qualified to join
- sometimes uses social media to gain support eg during 2023 teacher strikes over pay
what’s the difference between pressure groups and parties
- parties seek power but pressure groups dont
- parties are accountable for the electorate but pressure groups not accountable except for their members
- parties develop policies over all areas but pressure groups specify in a specific area - narrower concern
- parties gave a formal membership but pressure groups tend to have supporters rather than members
what are insider and outsider pressure groups
insider groups:
- close access to gov
- regularly consulted by ministers
- work behind scenes through negotiation and lobbying
outsider groups:
- no close links to gov
- use public campaigns to gain govs attention
- use demonstrations media and petitions to gain awareness
example of an insider pressure group
BMA - British medical association (sectional group)
- reps 190k doctors and medical students in UK
- insider - regularly consulted by Department of Health and involved in official policy discussions
- uses formal lobbying, expert reports and meetings with ministers
- negotiates on behalf of doctors for pay and working conditions
- played a leading role in 2023-24 junior doctor strikes
example of outsider pressure group
BLM - black lives matter (promotional group)
- outsider - doesn’t get consulted formally w gov but relies on public to campaign and put pressure
- serves whole black community - equality
- after murder of George Floyd 2020 mass public demonstrations attracted thousands in London
- social media campaigns like #BlackLivesMatter
- lobby gov and MPs to change policy on policing, and disproportionate stop-and-search of black people
6 methods that pressure groups use and examples
- LOBBYING - pressuring direct decision-makers, policymakers, legislators
- PUBLIC CAMPAIGNING - large-scale demonstrations to mobilise public opinion
- DONATIONS TO PP - legal if declared, Cons got £11mill from property developers in BJs first year
- MEDIA CAMPAIGNS - celebrities - 2020 Marcus Rashford free school meals, Prince William and Harry - reduce stigma for poor mental health
- CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE - illegal - EXR - black roads, destroy artefacts. surrogates - chained to railing at Buckingham Palace.
- SOCIAL MEDIA + E-PETITIONS - #BlackLivesMatter, #JustStopOil
3 facts that affect pressure groups success - INCREASE SUCCESS (for)
- INSIDER STATUS - direct access to government and decision-makers. BMA works with Department of Health - influence NHS policy
- GROUP SIZE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT - larger groups represent more people - greater influence eg NEU (national education union) 450k+ members
- EXPERTISE - groups with exert knowledge are going to be more trusted and listened to. EG BMA - exert knowledge on medicine - highly trusted and influential to gov and shaping policies
3 facts that affect pressure groups success - DECREASE SUCCESS (against)
- INSIDER STATUS - not all groups are influential in every circumstance EG the CBI strong links w the conservatives but couldn’t influence policy over Brexit even due to its expert knowledge on trade etc
- GROUP SIZE AND PUBLIC SUPPORT - larger group size doesnt always bring success - 2003 1mill+ marched in london with the Stop the War Coalition against the Iraq war - but uk gov still went ahead with military action
- EXPERTISE - the gov trust the BMA but gov refused to meet their full pay demands during 2023-24 junior doctor strikes - despite the expert evidence on NHS staffing pressures
3 ways pressure groups ENHANCE democracy
- DISPERSE POWER AND INFLUENCE WIDELY - BMA influences health policies and the voices of doctors are heard
- EDUCATE PUBLIC - Greenpeace - detailed reports on climate change, plastic pollution, renewable energy
- PROTECTS MINORITIES - BLM racial equality and police reform - giving a voice and makes minority rights represented even without majority support in parliament
3 ways pressure groups THREATEN democracy
- WEALTHY HAVE MORE INFLUENCE
- IEA free market think tank promoting low taxes etc.
- Close ties to Cons and its funded by private donors like businesses and right wing foundations.
- but it doesnt disclose its donors and the IEA has large influence on policies like tax cuts and Brexit without being directly accountable to voters.
- therefore wealthy groups have more say in policies - INTERNALLY UNDEMOCRATIC
- Greenpeace and EXR are not elected by public vote
- run by small leadership team
- they claim to represent public but they arent accountable to anyone - weakens democratic legitimacy - ELITIST GROUPS
- The “revolving door” refers to senior politicians or civil servants taking high-paying jobs in lobbying firms or pressure groups after leaving office.
- this concentrates influence in the hands of a privileged few, reducing accountability and weakening trust in the democratic process.
what’s a think tank
a body of experts brought together to investigate and offer solutions to economic social and political problems
3 types of think tanks
non-partisan - independent research
left-wing - social justice, high welfare spending, workers rights
right-wing - free market, low tax, small gov policies
example of a think tank
IEA - institute of economic affairs
- right-wing, libertarian, free market
- promotes low taxes, privatisation, limited government and deregulation
- it specialises in doing in-depth economic research into policy ideas
what are lobbyists
- individuals or companies paid to persuade decision-makers to favour a certain group or cause
- they tend to be employed by businesses, pressure groups, trade unions etc
what are corporations
- large company or a group of companies that operate as a single entity
- their wealth is often so great and importance to the economy so large - governments cant easily ignore them
- eg Amazon is a corporation
what INFLUENCE do think tanks, lobbyists and corporations have on UK politics
- THINK TANKS - IEA influenced Cons policies on tax cuts and deregulation
- LOBBYISTS - lobbying firms spend £2bill yearly to influence decision-makers, and employ 4000 ish ppl (concerns are that influence, therefore, can be bought)
- CORPORATIONS - they donate to political party election campaigns and fund think tanks. eg over 1/5 of Con donations came from corporations in the run-up to the 2019 GE
what LIMITATIONS do think tanks, lobbyists and corporations have on UK politics
- THINK TANKS - they are aligned to a political party and therefore when that party loses power - they lose influence - eg IEA less influence now Labour got power in 2024 - they now have less access to ministers and its free market ideas are less aligned with labours policies
- LOBBYISTS -regulations ban MPs from accepting money from lobbyists in return for presenting their viewpoint. public scrutiny also prevents this
- CORPORATIONS - they dont always get what they want for example many large corporations opposed Brexit such as CBI, BT etc –> cant override public opinion
